Author's Note: This article will include spoilers for Worlds Beyond Number's primary campaign, WWW episode 2.
The 2nd episode of The Wizard, The Witch, and The Wild One continues from where we stopped last time. The visitor is at the door, and Ame needs to decide what to do about it as she witnesses Grandma Ren pass.
This episode was fantastic, fast-paced when it needed to be, and hit all the right points to make it a wild success.
Let's Dive into it!
The Dark Visitor and Ame's Promise
As Grandmother Ren passes, a visitor arrives and brings the night with him. We are never given a physical description of him aside from what the girls saw from afar, but the way the entire scene is depicted and the voice Brennan gave this person, it was pretty obvious this was not someone to trifle with.
As Ame refuses to open the door, she offers a date for his return. He accepts and asks for a date, to which Ame responds, "One year from today."
He accepts and vanishes. The stress had gone, and daylight was back. Now it was time to take stock and move on.
This dark visitor is much more dangerous than even we, the audience, understand. The characters did not roll so well to reveal this information. But based on what Brennan said, this dude could potentially be the Ying to this world's Yang.
Taking Stock and Meeting Mr. Soup
Before her passing, Grandmother Ren made Ame promise to look for the sword Suvi gifted Eursolon to help with the curse over the house. And now, after that dark entity, it's time to deal with Grandmother Ren's passing, the home, and realize where Eursolon might be.
Suvi, who was present for the whole ordeal, realized her sending mirror shattered because of this encounter even though she was on the top floor of the cottage.
Ame and Suvi go over what they need to care for and decide to go to the shrine, where they meet Mr. Soup.
Mr. Soup is a deity whose shrine Grandmother Ren built, and Ame asks for help finding a familiar after offering him brown drinks and food.
A certain fox that Suvi witnessed before from a window appears as he decides to steal Ame's food.
The Fox Steals The Show
The Fox is now my favorite character. As Brennan Explained, The Fox is an extension of Ame's personality, which means if Ame is kind and shy, this Fox will be pretty sly and a scoundrel.
There's just something about Brennan playing sly characters that gets me. It's so good! The Fox also feels like the kind of NPC that allows Brennan to share his thoughts with the players safely. They trust the Fox as Ame's familiar, so it's not a stranger.
After Ame and Fox agree on the terms of their cooperation (lots of chickens), it's time to leave the cottage in the trusty hands of Mr. Soup and go look for Eursolon.
Finding Eursolon
Fox picks up the scent of Eursolon and starts leading the ladies through villages and towns that presumably Eursolon visited.
As the journey ends, the ladies arrive at a town fair where a show is running.
They find Eursolon playing the Ogre on a local show without his glamour. The shame he feels realizing Ame and Suvi are in the crowd is unfathomable.
Eursolon Is Not The Same
Finding Eursolon is a pretty depressing part of this episode. Life has not been kind to the honored friend. He has been on the run, ridiculed, and judged. He works here only because that's the only place where people can "accept" his appearance.
Suvi drops status to help Eursolon get back his music box. And after an excellent genuine hug, the ladies realize Eursolon no longer has the sword. It's been five years since we've seen him with it.
I love that Ame finishes the episode with, "Well, at least we have a quest for you."
Predictions for The Next Episode
The next episode will focus on catching up and getting some leads on where the sword could be. Maybe even move to retrieve it.
The campaign doesn't feel as fast-paced as a season of D20 would be. There's time to experience moments more deeply.
Let's see if I'm correct! What did you think about this episode? Let me know in the comments below!
Read the next episode's review right here.
